


Worth The Wait (hopefully)

by that_one_waffle



Series: Gil’s New Adventures [4]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Cute Ending, Cute boys kissing, First Dates, Gil is in a skirt again, Light Angst, M/M, Nonbinary Character, Still need to figure out how to tag, there i said it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-07
Updated: 2019-02-07
Packaged: 2019-10-24 04:20:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,399
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17697545
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/that_one_waffle/pseuds/that_one_waffle
Summary: Gil hasn’t had a (proper) date in over 20 years, but he finds that a good date is most definitely worth that wait.





	Worth The Wait (hopefully)

**Author's Note:**

> Okay- this kind of wouldn’t have been as great as it is now without this lovely beta, Calla_Kay , so seriously, thank you so much!

A date.

 

He had..... a date.

 

Well, that makes him seem like he hasn’t ever had a date before, which he has. He’s had plenty of dates! Lots!

 

It’s just that... we’ll, it’s been a while.

 

If you count well over 20 years as a ‘while’.

 

Yeah, and the last time wasn’t really a date, if you ask him, so like, it’s been longer than that. Huh..

 

‘ _What should I wear?_ ’ He texts his date the afternoon of, totally _not_ nervous as he takes a bath. Why would he be nervous? He isn’t.

 

Well, he is, but no one but him has to actually know.

 

‘ _Whatever makes you feel comfortable._ ’ The person replies, and Gil has half a mind to snort. If that’s the case, he’d come in his pyjamas. His cute chicken onesie comes to mind and he actually does snort. The movement makes the red petals around him flutter a bit, so he settles back down.

 

‘ _My opinion doesn’t matter, but I did think you looked very nice in the outfits you showed Francis and I the last time._ ’

 

And oh boy does that bring back memories. Gil had come down, fully expecting just Fran, only to find another pair of eyes on him. His heart thumps.

 

‘ _Coincidentally, it would be warm enough to wear some shorts.’_

_‘Or a skirt.’_

 

If he wasn’t nervous (he definitely is, but he doesn’t have to like it), he’d find it really cute that they’re trying so hard not to seem pushy or even nervous themselves.

 

So with a noise, Gil gets out of his bath and lets it drain, making sure the strainer is in place. He’ll clean up when he gets back tonight.

 

The man heads to his room in the house that he’s owned for many years. He spends little to no time here, but he came to visit, and he decided to check in with the place. A maid keeps it spic and span, and he’s very grateful for it.

 

Of all the things he’d packed, Gil finds it hard to believe that he didn’t pack anything remotely good for a date. He has one business suit, and some cute outfits, but nothing really nice and cute. So quietly, he pulls out all of his cute outfits and he chooses from there.

 

He settles for a soft pink shirt with a cute cup of frozen yogurt on the front, and a white and pink pleated skirt. It has two pink lines running along near the bottom edge, and on the waistline, it says “💖 _Call Me Cute_ 💖”. It’s also in pink.

 

He puts on his white high tops to go with it, and when he looks to the mirror, he feels happy with his choice. Really happy. He sighs softly to himself, gently ruffling his hair. His lips are already naturally a nice red colour, so he settles for adding some gloss (a tip from Fran, of course), and once he’s sure he’s ready, he puts some vanilla scent on his neck and wrists.

 

Fran is really the biggest mvp here. He’s the one who got him the makeup and the delicious, warm scents. They’re not too floral-y. They smell like the inside of a bakery, which is honestly why he likes them so much. It’s just good.

 

He looks to his nails, and smiles. The acrylics there are also thanks to Francis, but Gil paid for them himself. They’re blue and pink with gold detail, and they’re the best. But they’re hard to get used to, so he’ll have to get shorter ones next time if there ever is a next time.

 

Gil takes one last look at himself in the mirror before he should head downstairs to wait, but he feels a little pinch of anxiety roll through his abdomen. His heart lurches in his chest.

 

He’s seen what’s happened to people who go outside like this. He’s not blind. He’s seen the hatred in people’s eyes as they shout terrible things at people who dress in ways that aren’t what society thinks they should. And he knows what it feels like to be singled out and hated. He’d once been burned at the stake because he’s albino, and that’s something he couldn’t even help.

 

The feeling makes him feel particularly _un_ -awesome.

 

He takes one look at his own gaze, and he sees the red there that he used to hate so much with a burning passion, and he takes a deep breath.

 

“No one will shout at you. No one is going to even care. And even if they do, it won’t matter. Because this is good. You’re going to be happy and you look awesome and you don’t need to listen to other people’s opinions. Not if you don’t want to.”

 

Not if he didn’t want to.

 

The doorbell rings, and he takes one last deep breath, and he smiles at his reflection almost breathlessly, relaxing a little.

 

“You look awesome.”

 

And then he’s running downstairs quickly, a grin on his shiny lips.

 

___________________________________________________________________________

 

 

“You look.... very nice.” A soft voice tells him once they’re in the car.

 

Gil is holding the softest, sweetest white flower, and he’s probably blushing as he fidgets just slightly in his seat. “Danke..~” He hums easily, still smiling. “You look just as nice.” He’s quick to compliment after a moment of silence, and his tone must be funny because soon, Matthew is laughing brightly and he seems to relax in his own seat, his hands no longer squeezing the wheel tightly.

 

He does though. He can’t really see much past the denim jacket he’s wearing, but his jeans look snug and his hair falls in golden waves that frame his soft but also strong face. He looks very nice.

 

“Merci~” He thanks, and Gil shrinks down a little in his seat, definitely blushing.

 

After another moment of silence (in which they’re just driving, not much to do other than sit in silence or talk), Gilbert finally speaks up.

 

“So... where are we going?” He asks quietly, one hand gently touching the soft petals of the flower, and it reminds him slightly of his skin. White as snow, he recalls someone once saying to him.

 

More like a translucent mess, but okay, sure.

 

“Well..!” The Canadian starts out, sounding very confident. “I thought we could have a picnic. And then afterwards, we could take a stroll if you’re up for it.” And it sounds really perfect, and Gil doesn’t usually think that picnics are a good first date thing, but it works for Matthew.

 

He doesn’t realize he hasn’t said anything until he sees Mattie kinda wilt a bit. “Or we could do something else..?” And Gil wants to slap himself.

 

Think, think quick.

 

“Oh, nein nein..! I was..... I was just thinking about how good that sounds, sorry. I like it.” He promises quietly, red eyes watching the blond squeeze the steering wheel again. He really didn’t mean to make the man second-guess himself.

 

He just so happens to be an idiot, that’s all.

 

How did he get this date again?

 

Oh ja.. Matthew suggested that he come visit, and when Mattie asked if he wanted to go on a date with him while he was here (in Canada) and handed him the biggest green maple leaf he’d ever seen— well, Gil had kind of swooned and he immediately said that he would love a date.

 

He still didn’t understand why Matthew wanted a date in the first place, but it could be for any number of reasons. His ego wants to say that it’s because he’s cool and awesome and really handsome and pretty, but like... his ego is an ego. Usually wrong.

 

“Do you go on many dates..?” Gil’s mouth asks before his brain can shut it, and he immediate detests his mouth.

 

There’s a pause before the larger of the two shrugs. “Not really. Honestly I find that it ends up being a waste of my time. Most people are nice, but they’re not what I’m looking for, I guess.”

 

Okay, there’s a little bit to unpack from that, but the one thing that pulls itself from the words makes him blink, and he bites his lower lip. “I hope that I won’t be a waste of time..” He says quietly.

 

Another pause.

 

“Even if this ends up being a terrible mess of a date, I know it wouldn’t be a waste of time.” And it’s almost so quiet that Gil barely hears him. But he does. He always hears him.

 

To lighten the (quite frankly) deep romantic mood, Gil smiles. “Good, because wasting your time wouldn’t be very awesome.”

 

A warm chuckle follows him. “I suppose it wouldn’t.”

 

___________________________________________________________________________

 

 

“It’s so pretty here!” Gilbert breathes, and he’s glad that he’d brought sunscreen. They’re in the back of Mattie’s truck on some soft, comfy blanket and there’s food and drinks. But around them is a warm, flat area and behind them is a small patch of forest. They’re right next to a large river, and the sun is shining around them, and it’s honestly quite magical.

 

For once, Gil feels a little overdressed. Shorts would’ve been perfect for this, but he didn’t pack any cute ones. Next time, he promises himself.

 

Will there be a next time?

 

Gil distracts himself from that thought by gazing to Matthew, who is climbing in, looking way too handsome for his own good. He’s wearing a red plaid flannel, and it’s form fitting. The sleeves are rolled up to his elbows and the top two buttons are undone, showing off some collarbone. Some neck.

 

His jeans are simple, and boots simpler- but the jeans are tight and make his legs go on for days, and the boots look worn and comfy, and make him look just... really good.

 

Yeah, Gil is a little overdressed.

 

But Matthew doesn’t seem to mind. And from the way he keeps checking him out, Gil thinks he made a good choice on the outfit.

 

“Let’s dig in, oui?”

 

So they do.

 

__________________________________________________________________________

 

 

They’ve sat and ate and talked for a couple hours now. The sandwiches were tasty, the fruits were juicy, and the little cut up pieces of cheese were just delicious. Gil is finishing up his third beer of the night, and he feels pleasantly warm even as the evening slides into existence.

 

“You were so cute when you were tiny, you know?” Gil jokes gently, and Matthew is still smiling and his nose is all pink and really, he needs to stop being so adorable and handsome at the same time- it’s becoming confusing.

 

“Well, I feel like we all used to be cute when we were small.” Mattie points out, and Gil stops to actually think about it. Hm.. well, he’s not really wrong.

 

“Austria wasn’t. A little brat, he was.” He jokes, snickering softly. “I heard Arthur wasn’t that cute either, but I never saw first hand. Or at least, I don’t think I did.” He shrugs, taking his last swig of the delicious beer before putting the bottle with the others.

 

There’s a pause where Matthew recovers from laughing, and the grin on his lips is so warm and cute. Matthew is just a cute guy, really. He’s also incredibly smart, which is really cool.

 

Smiling brightly, Gil leans back, relaxing. His stomach is full, his body feels warm, and he’s having good conversation.

 

“How about you? Weren’t you a cute little one?”

 

Well there goes good conversation. Hoping to not ruin anything that they had going for them, Gil shrugs again, forcing up his confidence to help him through. “I’d like to say that I was a pretty awesome tiny one…~”

 

Mattie chuckles warmly at this, shaking his head before something clicks. Gil can see it, he’s not sure he likes it. “You’d like to say..?”

 

There it is. Gil continues on, but his confidence is waning. “Well, I know a lot of people who would definitely say otherwise..” The smell of burning flesh comes to mind and the albino gulps silently, still trying to smile. How’d it get here?

 

Matthew’s smile is gone, and Gil immediately wants to backtrack, but before he can say anything, Matthew gazes away from him and instead looks to the river.

 

“My papa once told me that your own people turned against you. Is that true?”

 

In all his years of living, not one person has actually asked him if that happened. They all just knew, or knew better not to ask. Even Hungary and Austria gave him pitying looks when they found out. It’s a terrible thing, having your own people hate you, even more depressing when it’s for something you had no control over.

 

“Ja.” He answers quietly, not even bothering with the fake confidence. It tastes terrible on his tongue. “When I was first settled, I was very religious. Extremely so. Most of my people were, and it all cultivated to me. I would pray everyday, and I thought that everything was perfect.

 

“One day, a Sunday.. it was time for mass, and I went as normal.” He looked out towards the river as well, feeling the warmth start to seep out of him. “The preacher grabbed me and drug me outside, screaming that I was a demon child and that God would punish me if it were so. I had the eyes of the devil and skin whiter than bone... They tied me to a log and while I cried and sobbed and begged them to let me go, they brought sticks and kindling and anything burnable they could find and stacked it around me and at my feet.” He sounded far away now, as if he wasn’t even there anymore. He didn’t really want to be.

 

He could feel the ropes digging into his skin, could practically hear the preacher screaming for help in getting kindling. His throat began to swell up, his heart pounding. He didn’t understand why his people hated him so...

 

“They lit the pile on fire. I screamed as the fire reached higher and higher. I cried as the preacher said that if I wasn’t a child of the devil, then God would save me. I called out my daily prayer as the flames burned my skin and reached bone. It hurt so much. I knocked out for a few days after that, and I found myself in the forest outside of the town. They dumped my body there, thinking I was dead... I haven’t prayed after that day.”

 

He didn’t realize he was shivering until he felt Matthew put something over his chest. A large denim jacket. Blinking away the sudden wetness in his eyes, the albino looked down to the jacket, then to Mattie in question. He didn’t know what was going on. “It’s mine, go ahead and put it on.”

 

Oh.

 

_Oh_.

 

Gil didn’t know how to say no, so he quietly put on the jacket, relaxing as it basically engulfed him. The collar smelt of maple syrup and pine, and it made him smile warmly. It was also very warm, which he definitely appreciated. 

 

“I didn’t mean to make you relive those memories. I just.... I couldn’t understand why someone would want to hurt you, that’s all.” His voice is warm, but sad, and it makes Gil’s nerves flare up a bit. Being a brother, it instantly makes him feel the need to crack a joke, because that’s how he makes Ludwig feel better.

 

But this isn’t a brotherly thing, and he doesn’t want to crack a stupid joke.

 

“It’s okay. It’s in the very distant past, you know?” He tries quietly, gently nudging his leg against the others. “I’ve gone through a lot. Bad things happen.” Gil soothes, smiling towards the Canadian, trying to lighten the mood once more.

 

Violet eyes warm up slightly, and he gets a smile in return. “I don’t know, I guess I don’t understand how anyone could think you’re anything but angelic.”

 

And oh, it’s like someone took Gil and replaced him with a literal strawberry.

 

Before he can reply or even say anything, Matthew moves to get up on his knees, dusting himself off. “Are you in the mood for a stroll?”

 

_____________________________________________________________________

 

 

Their stroll ends up being along the river on a worn down path, and it’s honestly really romantic, because Mattie took his hand gently in his a few minutes ago and Gil is swooning.

 

They talk, but this time, it doesn’t get deep like it had before, and for that, Gil is quite thankful.

 

Instead, Gil asks how Alfred is doing, how hockey is shaping up this year. Matthew quietly suggests that maybe they could watch a game together next time, and Gil internally melts. His smile is bright as he nods. “I’d love that..~”

 

The path is winding and the breeze that slides along his legs is cool, but he still feels warm from the jacket, which is rather big. He actually adores it. He has half a mind to ask where Matthew got it.

 

He’ll ask later.

 

For now, they just walk.

 

Slowly but surely, they end up heading back to the truck, and Mattie even helps him up into the passenger seat, making his heart flutter. He likes strong people. Kind of just hits him right in his soul.

 

The drive back to his house is quiet save for the music that’s on, but Gil doesn’t mind. It’s a comfortable silence.

 

When they reach his house, Matthew mutters to him to stay put for a second, and in his surprise, he does. His door opens a moment later and there’s Mattie, a breathless smile on his lips- and he’s helping him down, both hands on his waist. But sadly, he lets go quickly and instead walks Gilbert to his door.

 

How much can one man swoon in a day?

 

Apparently a lot.

 

Gil ends up unlocking the door before turning back to Mattie, a smile on his lips. “I had an amazing time tonight, danke..~” He breathes, red eyes meeting violet in the low light of the street lamps, which are the only thing on for them besides the moon.

 

“Me too. I’d love to do this again soon..~ Maybe at least once more before you leave?” It’s a small, quiet suggestion, but he sounds so hopeful that Gil would hate to say no and ruin it. So he’s quick to nod, definitely smiling.

 

“Sounds perfect...~” He practically purrs, his happiness just surrounding him.

 

“Why don’t you keep the jacket for tonight, and I’ll pick up on our next date?” The Canadian hums easily, looking over him, making him feel even warmer. It’s perfection. He nods in agreement, curling his arms around him slightly, glad to have the jacket for a little while longer.

 

“Well, I should let you go..”

 

“Aren’t you going to give me a kiss goodnight?” Oh fuck, why did he say that?? Where did that even come from???

 

Breathing in sharply, Gil immediately opens his mouth to backtrack, but before he can, there’s a warm, tender hand on his cheek and there’s lips on his, and any words he should’ve said are melting on his tongue.

 

It’s a gentle, soft kiss. It’s not forceful, or overbearing. It’s warm and sweet and he can’t help but take a step closer, pressing ever closer, his eyes fluttering shut.

 

But its ending all too soon, and Gil is left shivering slightly when Matthew pulls back. Unable to stop himself, his tongue swipes over his lower lip, and he tastes the beer from earlier and that lovely maple syrup.

 

Finally, Matthew pulls his hand away from his face, but only after rubbing the pad of his thumb along his cheek bone. It’s perfect.

 

“Good night, _mon petit fueille_..~” That warm timber breathes, and Gil takes in a deep breath, smiling.

 

“Good night, schatz..~” He replies, and moves to step inside the doorway, watching as Matthew finally walk back to his truck. Once the door is finally closed behind him, Gilbert smiles breathlessly and actually squeals a little. His little yellow bird comes chirping at the sound, and soon, she’s nestled up in his hair, making him grin easily.

 

So yeah, it’s been more or less 20 odd years or so since he’s been on a proper date. This one has been absolutely worth waiting for..~

**Author's Note:**

> “Mon petite feuille” - My little leaf ❤️


End file.
